Trivia
Kingdom Rush and Kingdom Rush: Frontiers are both full of cultural references and easter eggs, all added by the developers. From spoken lines to background images, there are hundreds of references to film, TV, games, music and books rammed in. This page will explain where they all come from. Heroes Kingdom Rush Gerald Lightseeker The name Gerald is an old Germanic name that means Rule of the Spear. *'"Prepare for glory!"' - Spoken by King Leonidas in the graphic novel/film 300 *'"Honor guide me!" ' - The first of several quotes taken from StarCraft, this is a confirmation quote for the Zealot unit. *'"Come on, you wanna live forever?"' - Part of a quote from Starship Troopers. The full line spoken by Jean Rasczak and later Johnny Rico is "C'mon you apes, you wanna live forever?" '' *'"I will cleanse this land!"' - The Wiki started by the developers states this is a quote from Diablo II. It is also a line from a song called The Cleansing by Nothing More. Alleria Swiftwind There is a character in Warcraft called Alleria Windrunner, who is also both an elf and an archer. *'"Give me a target!"' - A quote of the character Varus in the multiplayer online game League of Legends. *'"If it bleeds, I can kill it!"' - A riff on a line spoken by the character Dutch in the film Predator. *'"Swift, like the wind!"' - ''As swift as wind (Traditional Chinese: 故其疾如風) is a line from Sun Tzu's The Art of War, part of the verse "故其疾如風、其徐如林、侵掠如火、難知如陰、不動如山、動如雷霆" (Let your rapidity be that of the wind, your compactness that of the forest, in raiding and plundering be like fire, be as hard to know as the shadow, be immovable like a mountain, move as fast as lightning). *'"Calm and careful"' - A line spoken by Robin in the 2010 version of Robin Hood. Malik Hammerfury Malik (Arabic: ملك‎) (Hebrew: מֶלֶךְ‎) is a Semitic name, meaning king, chieftain. *'"It's hammer time!"' - A line taken from the song U Can't Touch This! by rapper MC Hammer. *'"Can't touch this!' '- A second line from the MC Hammer song, both this and Hammer Time have entered popular culture as catch phrases and are used in numerous sources. *'"I pity the fool!'' - A quote made by the character A.A.Barachus in the TV series The A-Team. B.A. is portrayed as a large bodied black man that nobody wants to mess with, much like Malik is portrayed in the game. Bolin Farslayer *'"I never miss!"' - A line spoken by El Wray in the Grindhouse film Planet Terror. *'"Hasta la vista baby!"' - The catch phrase associated with Arnold Schwarzenegger's titular character in Terminator II: Judgement Day. "Hasta la vista" is a Spanish phrase meaning "see you later". *'"Oh-ho, do you feel lucky, punk?"' - A line spoken by Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry. The full line "I know what you're thinking, punk. You're thinking "did he fire six shots or only five?" Now to tell you the truth I forgot myself in all this excitement. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and will blow you head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself a question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?" is understandably very long and therefore very hard to remember, which is why only the last part has become the most memorable. Magnus Spellbane The name Magnus is a late Latin word meaning Great. *'"Hocus pocus" '- Famous 'magic words' that usually take second place behind Abra Cadabra. *'"Knowlege is power" '- Translated from the Latin proverb 'Scientia potentia est', and commonly attributed to Sir Francis Bacon, it implies that having knowledge and education will make one greater or give them better potential in life than those who have no knowledge. *'"Power, unlimited power!"' - Words spoken by the Dark Lord of the Sith in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith when he is revealed to be the Emperor and main antagonist of the trilogy. *'"It's a kind of magic" '- A line spoken by Connor MacLeod in the film Highlander. It is more commonly known from the song A Kind of Magic by English rock band Queen. The song was made for the film, based on the spoken line. Ignus "Ignus" is similar to the latin word for "fire", "Ignis". *'"Let's burn!"' - A quote from StarCraft, this is the confirmation phrase used by the Firebat. *'"Need a light?"' - Another quote from the StarCraft Firebat. *'"Fire and Brimstone!"' - A term used to describe the wrath of God in the Old Testament. Brimstone is an archaic name for Sulfur, an element often associated with the acrid odour found near volcanic activity (hydrogen sulfide has the distinct smell of rotten eggs). *'"By fire be purged!"' - A quote from World of Warcraft made by the character Ragnaros, who is the master of all fire elementals. King Denas *'"Go ahead, make my day!"' - A line spoken by Harry Callahan in the film Sudden Impact. The film is part of the Dirty Harry series, making it the second quote from the series, the first made by Bolin. Elora Wintersong *'"Winter is coming" '- Motto of the House of Stark in A Song of Ice and Fire. *'"Ice, ice, baby"' - The name and lyric of a song by rapper Vanilla Ice. The song is well known for sharing the baseline of the song Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie. *'"Cool!"' - Meaning both cold and awesome. *'"It's chilling time!" '- A sleight on the phrase "It's clobberin' time!", the catch phrase of choice for The Thing from Marvel series The Fantastic Four. This phrase would later be used in it's original format for Frontiers hero Grawl. Ingvar Bearclaw The name Ingvar comes from the old Norse name Yngvarr, derived from the alternate name of the god Freyr, and combined with the word arr meaning Warrior. Norse Berserkers were warriors able to enter an uncontrollable trance of fury and rage that gave them great strength. In regards to the translation of the old Norse words, and the writings of them in Norse legend, they wore bear pelts and would undergo shape shifting though more like shifting into the state of rage rather than an actual form change. *'"Bear with me" '- He turns into a bear, so it's a funny. *'"Valhalla awaits!" '- A reference to Valhalla (the Norse afterlife for fallen warriors) but also a line from the song Valhalla Awaits Me by Amon Amarth. *'"You wont like me when I'm angry." '- Said by Bruce Banner before he turns into the Hulk. *'"Until Ragnarok!"' - Another song line, this time from In Chains Until Ragnarok by Enslaved. Oni An Oni is a demon in japanese folklore, they are usually ugly looking with wide grins, horns, fangs and usually red or blue skin. Whilst usually malicious monsters that attack people, they can also be considered protective, as statues bearing their grimacing faces are found on buildings to ward of other spirits (like Gargoyles found on European buildings for the same purpose). The Oni feature a great deal in japanese culture, appearing in some form in numerous Manga, Anime and computer games. *'"Off with their heads"' - Said in several different forms, but popularly linked to the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. *'"Banzai!"' - The Banzai charge is the term used by the Allied forces to refer to Japanese human wave attacks mounted by infantry units. This term came from the Japanese cry "Tenno Heika Banzai" (天皇陛下萬歲, "Long live the Emperor"), shortened to banzai, and it specifically refers to a tactic used by Japanese soldiers during the Pacific War. *'"My blades are thirsty"' - Google tells me this is a line of a song called 'Swordmaster' by Battlelore. It has a similar genre style as the songs that inspired lines for Ingvar Bearclaw. *'"A good death"' - A line spoken by Kasumoto in the film The Last Samurai. *'"Death brings me honour"' - When killed, Oni performs seppuku, the ritual suicide that samurai perform so they can die with honour. Hacksaw A Hacksaw is a type of blade used for cutting materials. They're usually used in the early stages of construction. Likewise, to refer to someone or something as 'a hack' is to say that it's not up to the standard that is expected of it. If someone is doing a hack job then they're not as good as a professional, and if something is considered a hack, then it's not as good at its purpose than a properly vetted one. Since Hacksaw is a gnome in a self constructed robot suit, both he and the suit could be considered 'hacks'. *'"Timber! Hoo hoo haa haa!"' - The laughing bit is a little odd, but Timber! is what lumberjacks and others in similar professions shout when a tree is being cut down, as a warning to those around to get the merry hell; out of its way and avoid getting crushed. Sound advice. Timber is also the word used to describe wood intended to be used for construction. *'"Cowabunga!"' - Popularised by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character Michelangelo. It's surfer slang for "Whoo hoo!". *'"Bazinga!"' - Another phrase popularised by a TV character, this time Shelton in the Big Bang Theory. Again, it's a phrase meaning "That went well." *'"Ridiculous!"' - From the way it's spoken, it sounds like a take on the Riddikulus spell from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a spell used to turn a boggart's illusions back against it. *'"I am not finished!" '- Except he is finished. Dead. Thor Thor is now most commonly known as a character from the Marvel universe, both comic and film. Ultimately, all versions of Thor are based on the Norse God of Strength, Thunder and War. The name Thor itself means Thunder. *'"For Midgard!"' - Midgard is the name used in Norse mythology to describe the realm of Earth, as oppose to Asgard, the realm of the gods. This phrase is commonly used by Marvel's Thor as a battle cry. *'"I say thee nay, vile one!"' - Another battle cry from Marvel's Thor, often when countering the attacks of a villain. *'"Heavy Metal Thunder!!"' - A line from the song Born to be Wild by rock band Steppenwolf. This is the second instance of this song being used for a quote as the song title itself is used by the Rangers Hideout. *'"Wrath of the Heavens!"' - Based on the title of the Playstation 2 action-stealth game Tenchu: Wrath of the Heaven. *'"Mjolnir!!!"' - Mjolnir is the name of the enchanted hammer that Thor carries. Kingdom Rush: Frontiers Alric The name Alric is a variant of the Old Germanic name "Alaric" which means Ruler of All. The name is composed of two elements, ala (all) and ric (ruler). *'"Blood and sand!"'- Likely taken from the name Spartacus: Blood and Sand, an American TV series that ran from 2010-2013. *'"Stay Frosty!"' - A common turn of phrase used in many films and TV shows to mean "stay alert". It may also be a reference to a song of the same name by American rock band Valen Halen. *'"Till shade is gone" '- A quote said by the Aiel, a desert race featured in the book series Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (specifically the third book The Dragon Reborn). The full quote is "Till shade is gone, till water is gone, into the Shadow with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath, to spit into Sightblinder's eye on the Last Day." Cronan Presumably named after Robert E. Howard's Conan the Cimmerian as they do share a similar appearance. Cronan's accent is very similar to that of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who plays the character in the 1982 film adaptation. The name Conan itself is Gaelic in origin and means 'little wolf'. *'"The hunt is on!"' - The name of an event that occurs between two characters in League of Legends. The phrase is also the tag-line for the 1990 film The Hunt For Red October, but this is unlikely to be the reference originally intended by the developers. *'"Master. Beastmaster"' - The catch phrase of 'Bond. James Bond." *'"Danger is my trade!"' - A line spoken by the character Kalidor in the 1985 film Red Sonja. Kalidor is played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. *'"I'll be back' - A further Schwarzenegger reference, spoken by the titular character in the 1984 film The Terminator. Captain Blackthorne *'"Ahoy matey!"' - The greeting used by participants of the International Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 September). *'"Where be the treasure?"' - A common pirate phrase. *'"Drink up me hearties. Yo Ho!"' - A common pirate phrase. *'"Hoist the Colours!"' - Said by the pirates (kicked off by Elizabeth Swan) at the end of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End when they face the Queens naval fleet. *'Release the Kraken' - Featured in the second Pirates of the Caribbean film Dead Man's Chest. The Kraken is a giant cephalopod monster of massive size that appears in lots of sea or myth based media. Nivus *'"Excelsior!"' - One of Stan Lee's (brainchild of Marvel Comics) most used phrases. *'"A Wizard is never late!"' - A line spoken by Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring. The full quote is "A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to." *'"Boomshakala!"' - The key phrase from 1993 hit song Boom-Shak-A-Lak by Apache Indian. The song has been used in films and commercials across the world. *'"Merlin's Pants!"' - A line spoken by Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (book and film) as an exclamation of shock or surprise. The character of Merlin (though only mentioned in the series) is so well known that his name has entered everyday vernacular. Sha'tra The name Sha'tra doesn't mean anything, however the word 'Shatra' itself has several different references. It is a chess like game from Siberia, a rattle used in Altai music, the alternate name for the town Ash Shatrah in Iraq, the name of a human-demon species in The Tales of Ethshar, and the name of an alien species in Star Wars. As Sha'tra does not speak in English, his quotes can only be written based on what they sound like. However, transliterating them into Latin reveals some similarities: *'"Nas'de Zagon!"' - This phrase contains some of the the letters that make up the name 'Gonzalo Sandes' one of the co-founders of Ironhide Studios. *'"Aroval Siniros!"' - The first part of this phrase contains the letters from the name 'Álvaro', another co-founder. *'"Ini'laer Sai'tam!"' - The first part of this phrase is almost 'Realini' backwards, the third co-founder of Ironhide. *'"Edih Nori!"' - This is 'Iron Hide' backwards. *'Abduction' - Alien abduction is the event reported to be experienced by people who have been taken aboard an alien spacecraft for different reasons, most commonly to be experimented on by aliens. It is a common feature in many forms of alien media. *'Vibro Blades' - A Vibroblade is a weapon featured in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. It is described as a bladed weapon that uses ultrasonic frequencies to increase cutting power. *'Final Countdown' - The Final Countdown is a 1986 song by Swedish rock band Europe. The song mentions space travel and other planets (namely Venus) Mirage A Mirage is a naturally occuring phenomena caused by the sun's ray bending to displace an object or area. A commonly portrayed mirage is that of an oasis of clean water being seen in the middle of a desert. *'"They wont see me coming."' - A quote made by the Variant in the online battle simulator Universe at War. Dierdre *'"Purification is at hand"' - A line spoken by a disgruntled employee in The Simpsons episode 'Marge Gets A Job' (Series 4 episode 7). The full line is "I am the angel of death. The time of purification is at hand." *'"My faithful, join me"' - A quote made by the character Chen from 'Defence of the Ancients' an online battle arena mod for Warcraft III *'"For the fallen"' - Possibly related to a poem of the same name written by Laurence Binyon. It's from this poem that the 'Ode of Remembrance' originates, which is used to honour those who died during World War I Grawl The word Grawl takes it's terminology from 'brawl', a word used to describe a noisy fight. *'"Here comes the pain."' - The sub-title of 'WWE Smackdown! Here Comes The Pain, a wrestling game released for the Playstation2 in 2003 *'"Is there no one else?"' - A quote made by Achilles in the 2004 film Troy. When Achilles easily slays the best fighter of the opposing side, he calls out to the crowd to see if anyone esle dares face him. *'"It's clobberin' time!"' - The catch phrase of The Thing from Marvel series The Fantastic Four. This phrase has been previously used in a similar format for Elora Wintersong in Kingdom Rush. *'"Let there be rock!"' - A sleight on the phrase "Let there be light" as written in the first book of Genesis, where God created the Earth and filled the darkness of the void with light. Ashbite *'Reign of Fire' - This is the name of a 2002 film about fire breathing dragons being reintroduced into the modern world (with devastating results) Karkinos In Greek mythology, Karkinos was a giant crab that fought alongside the Hydra, in its battle with Herakles (more commonly known as Hercules). Though crushed underfoot in battle, it was then lifted to the heavens and became the constellation Cancer. *'"I am Karkinos"' - Most likely a reference to the Marvel character Groot, from Guardians of the Galaxy. Groot's catch phrase (and only spoken line) is "I am Groot." *'"Never retreat, never surrender."' - Similar to a line spoken by King Leonidas in the graphic novel/film 300. The full line is 'Spartans never retreat. Spartans never surrender.' *'"I am made of rage!"' - A quote made by the character Colossus in Marvel's Astonishing X-Men, under the penmanship of Joss Whedon. Category:Kingdom Rush